Forgiveness is the Best Form of Life Support
by DjDangerLove
Summary: Tag to Point Blank: When Peter's anger with Neal prevents him from noticing Neal's declining health, will he realize it in time or will it be too late?
1. Chapter 1

**This is a tag to the Summer Finale "Point Blank" , but in this story Mozzie was not shot at the end! I wanted to include him in the story without him being injured.**

* * *

Neal was in trouble.

That much he knew as he sank back into the passenger seat of Peter's car. He watched as the older man, face red with anger and what looked like hatred to the consultant, made his was to the car from the FBI building. The agent got into the car, closed the door, gripped the steering wheel in a death grip and stared straight ahead with his jaw clenched tightly. Awkward silence washed over the duo sitting in the car, until Neal couldn't stand it anymore.

"So…now what?" He cautiously asked. He watched the older man's jaw clench even more and heard his knuckles pop from the force Peter applied to them. But, Peter didn't answer. Instead, he started the car and drove to June's. He parked the car in front of her house, but didn't cut the engine.

"Get out." Peter said still looking straight ahead. Neal looked warily at his handler and opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it and got out of the car. Before he closed the door he heard Peter say, "Be at work at eight."

Neal was dumbfounded. Peter was no longer going to pick him up for work.

Once he closed the door, Peter drove off, leaving a hurt and a shameful Neal Caffrey standing on the sidewalk in front of June's house.

* * *

Neal sat at the kitchen table in his apartment, thinking over the events of the past two days. He knew what he did was more than wrong and he deserved any punishment he received but he couldn't stand the thought of Peter hating him. His hands shook as anxiety and panic sat in his chest and constricted his breathing. His whole world was falling around him and the only person he fully trusted, his safe haven, was not going to help him. He felt his body tremble violently beyond his control and black spots impaired his vision. Thankful no one was around to see him in such a vulnerable state, he gave into darkness that lashed out to consume him, hoping that he would no longer be able to feel the anxiety that took control of body and wouldn't feel the pain that rested in his chest due to his gasping breath.

* * *

Mozzie strode leisurely up the stairs to Neal's apartment. He was humming to himself not paying any attention as he opened the door. He placed his bag on the couch and for the first time he looked around for Neal. He didn't see him at first until he looked to the floor next to the kitchen table. There, Neal lay on his side and Mozzie suddenly became aware of a terrifying wheezing sound coming from his best friend. He ran over to him and dropped to his knees beside him.

"Neal! Neal, come on, man! Wake up!" Mozzie shouted frantically while shaking his friend. Neal's eyes slowly fluttered opened and he tried to take in a huge gulp of air but it ended up becoming a coughing fit. Mozzie patted Neal's back lightly while the coughing subsided. Once it was over, Neal rolled over onto his back and looked up his friend.

"M-Moz?" He asked confusedly.

"Yeah, it's me, man. Would you like to explain to me what is going on? Should I call the Suit?" Mozzie asked calmly as he laid a hand on top of Neal's chest, which was rising and falling frantically.

"NO!" Neal exclaimed as he shot up from the floor, startling the balding man. Mozzie caught the younger man by his shoulders when he sat up from the floor.

"Okay! Okay, take it easy man. Just tell me what's going on. What's wrong with you?" Mozzie questioned as he released his friend and helped him stand up.

"Nothing. I'm fine. I'm going to take a shower." With that Neal shrugged off Mozzie's hand from his shoulder and retreated to the bathroom.

Mozzie knew Neal was anything but fine. But once he heard the bathroom door lock and the shower start, he made his way over to the couch and sat down. He recognized Neal's symptoms as a result from a panic attack and wished he would have been more assertive in getting Neal to talk to him about what was bothering him. Of course he knew all the stress from almost killing Fowler had gotten to him, but something else was bothering him too. He didn't understand Neal's reaction when he mentioned the Suit. He looked Neal in the eyes when he mentioned the Suit and saw something he was sure was fear, but that didn't make any sense. Neal loved Peter in a brother/son type of way and has always felt safe around the Suit. Mozzie shrugged, knowing that there would be no way of getting through to Neal, and laid down on the couch to fall asleep.

Neal closed and locked the door. He turned the shower on and slid down the wall of the bathroom. He ran his shaky hands through his hair and tried to focus on breathing. The panic attack he experienced earlier really took a toll on him and he was slightly unnerved at how his breathing was still raspy. Pushing all of uneasiness to the back of his mind, he decided a shower would make him feel better and tomorrow he would start the pain staking task of getting the man he has looked to for guidance and protection to forgive him.

* * *

**AN: Two reminders- 1) In this tag to "Point Blank" , Mozzie was not shot. (I really wanted to add Mozzie to the story and didn't want him to be injured) and 2) This story idea is from januarysunshine13 and I hope I do her idea justice and would love to thank her for putting her faith in me to write this story out! Anyway, thanks for reading! Hope you like it and review please!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

It was seven thirty in the morning when Neal Caffrey walked outside June's house for the first time since yesterday. He stood on the curb, with the tips of his Italian leather shoes suspended over the edge as he contemplated hailing a taxi. He fancied the idea of having someone drive him to work other than Peter, if not for the mere fact that the agent was angry with him but for the verity that his chest ached with every rise and fall it made, a reminder of the panic attack he suffered through the night before. He knew that if he walked to the FBI building the pain in his chest would worsen, but all rational thought became irrelevant to the ex conman as he thought about how hurt he was by Peter's bitterness towards him. Out of his peripheral vision he saw a yellow taxi quickly making its way towards him and with one last battle inside his head of whether or not to walk to work he casually stepped away from the curb and began walking in the direction of the FBI building, fully aware that each step he took was one step closer to an unbearable pain in his chest he would have to suffer through silently all day.

* * *

Diana looked up from a case file she was looking through to see such an unfamiliar sight that her jaw dropped ever so slightly. The infamous Neal Caffrey, so defined and elegant, walked through the doors to the twenty-first floor of the FBI building looking winded and worn out. Of course his clothes were as extravagant as usual, but not even the most expensive suits in the world could hide the physical turmoil a man's body took on, not even if that man happened to be the best conman that ever lived. She watched as Neal practically fell into his chair at his small desk not even bothering to make his way to Peter's office first to torment her boss, as he usually did. She noticed Neal's erratic breathing and what appeared to her as shaking hands, but she was too far away to be sure. Diana pondered over reasons for such things and why Neal didn't arrive at work with Peter, but when she came up short, she stood and made her way to Peter's office for some answers.

Diana knocked on Peter's door even though it was open. When their gazes met, Diana opened her mouth to speak but Peter beat her to it.

"Is Neal here?" He asked in such a way that meant if the younger man wasn't he was going to be in trouble. This struck Diana as odd, considering Neal was never late and even on the rare occasion that he was, Peter never punished him for it.

"Um, yeah. He is. He's at his desk." Diana responded with a questioning glance.

"Good. What is it?" He asked, all annoyance gone.

"Well, that's actually what I came up here to talk to you about. Is everything okay between the two of you? I mean you two usually come to work together." She asked casually, but noticed Peter's jaw clench ever so slightly.

"A man can walk to work can't he? Neal's young, he needs to walk." Peter replied flatly, trying not to sound angry but Diana caught it.

"Boss, you have every right to be angry with him, what he did was wrong, but I really think you should talk to him, work things out between the two of you. We automatically expect him to respond to punishment, but maybe what he needs is a good talking too." Diana tried to encourage as she remembered how Neal looked when he walked in earlier. Peter grunted.

"He should be in prison for attempted murder, so I'd say I'm going easy on him." Peter replied irritated.

"I understand that, Boss. But I think their might be something wrong with him, like in a physical way. I'm just…concerned."

Peter looked up at her and with a sigh and biting of his lip he stood up, walked out of his office to the railing, and once Neal looked up at him, gave him the `double finger point` to come up.

Neal swallowed thickly when he saw an aggravated Peter give him the `double finger point`. He stood quickly, which he soon regretted when pain exploded throughout his chest. He masked it and walked up the stairs to Peter's office. He walked in and noticed a concerned Diana and an annoyed Peter.

"Neal, are you alright?" Peter asked flatly. Neal cocked his head to the side suspiciously. He would have felt relieved that Peter would ask about his well being but the tone that he asked it in meant he had been put up to it.

"Yes, I'm fine, I jus-" Neal responded, but Peter cut him off.

"Good. We have a briefing in five minutes. You are going undercover." With that the agent left his office.

For the second time that morning Diana's mouth slid open in shock. She never expected Peter to act like that towards Neal and take Neal's word that he was indeed fine, when clearly the younger man had dark circles forming under his eyes, his hands visibly shook at his sides, you could hear him breathing and if you listened closely it almost sounded like wheezing. Diana was very concerned for the CI that she had grown to care for, so that meant that Peter should be worrying himself to death over his consultant as he usually did. But he wasn't and it made Diana angry.

Neal watched his handler leave completely oblivious that Diana was watching him carefully. No, he wasn't fine. He knew something was wrong with him, but he kept telling himself it was just because of panic attacks and anxiety. Though deep down, if he was really honest with himself, he knew something was seriously wrong with him and that scared him more than anything. He was brought out of his daze when she touched his arm lightly.

"Neal? Are you sure you're okay? You just seem like you're not feeling well. You need to tell someone if-"

"I said I'm fine." Neal replied more harshly than he meant to. His anger wasn't directed towards Diana, but he couldn't help the outburst. He shrugged off her hand and made his way to the conference room.

* * *

20 minutes later

Neal sat at the conference table going over all the information he was just given. It was a simple operation. He just had to go in, act as if he was interested in buying the stolen painting they were trying to recover from a high profiled art collector named Tom Gadiff, suspected of several thefts but never convicted of any of them, until now, hopefully. Feeling confident in the operation, he stood and made his way to Peter's office to tell the agent he was leaving to get ready for the operation.

He walked into the agent's office cautiously, and knocked on the door lightly. Once his handler looked up Neal spoke.

"I'm leaving. I have to go get ready for the meet tonight." Neal said hoping the agent would at least tell him to be careful, but his hopes were diminished.

"Okay. Bye." Peter glanced at him for only a second, but little did the agent know that it might be the last time he would see Neal Caffrey alive and well.

* * *

Neal was standing face to face with Tom Gadiff when the suspect saw the new agent in the White Collar unit, who was standing two hundred feet behind Neal, signal another agent giving their whole operation up. Neal could only stand there and watch as realization hit Tom in the face and the suspect grabbed the painting and took off running. For the first time in Neal Caffrey's criminal career, he couldn't react. He stood there frozen, in shock at first, but then fear as he realized he couldn't bear to run after Tom with the pain in his chest. But he knew he had too, so he took off running. Adrenaline kept the pain at bay the first few minutes of running but soon the pain was back and unbearable. Black dots threatened his vision as he gasped for much needed air that never came. No longer able to stand, he collapsed to the ground curling into a ball, silently pleading for the darkness to take him away from the pain even if it meant forever.

Peter ran out of the surveillance van as fast as he could. They couldn't lose Gadiff. They had him. But when he turned the corner of the building he felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. No longer concerned with Gadiff, Peter ran as fast as he could to cross the distance between himself and Neal. He finally reached him in seconds but it didn't feel quick enough to the agent, and dropped to his knees. He laid a hand in Neal's sweat dampened hair before grabbing the younger man's trembling shoulders and began to roll him over onto his back but stopped when his consultant screamed in protest and curled tighter into himself. Despite the fear and panic radiating of the agent, Peter was persistent. He put his right hand in Neal's slightly curled locks of hair and mussed it, in attempt to calm the younger man. He let his left hand land on Neal's shoulder as he spoke to him.

"Neal? Neal, listen to me. I need you to tell me what's wrong. Come on, Buddy. Please, talk to me." Peter pleaded, but never in a million years would he have expected the response Neal gave him.

"G-get…away….from m-me." Neal said between gasping breaths of air before finally was awarded with unconsciousness.

* * *

**AN: I decided not to go into detail about the operation...I was lazy. Sorry! Anyway, review please. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth Burke watched as Neal's eyes fluttered open.

She stood up, not letting go of Neal's slender hand that had been clasped in hers. She let her left hand slowly work its way through Neal's hair as she spoke softly to him.

"Neal, honey, Its Elizabeth. I'm right here, sweetie. Come on, open your eyes for me." She coaxed gently. She waited impatiently for astounding blue eyes to meet hers, which after a couple of minutes it happened. She first saw confusion swim in deep pools of blue, which was quickly covered with pain. Neal's eyes hid behind clenched eyelids as his heart monitor sped up slightly. Elizabeth smoothed Neal's hair back once more as she felt his hand tighten around her own.

"Its okay, Neal. Just breathe. In and out."

"H-hurts." Neal weakly mumbled.

"I know, honey. I know." Elizabeth replied sympathetically as she played with Neal's hair until his heart rate was back to normal.

Once Neal felt the pain lessen in his chest and was able to breathe more regularly with the help from a nasal oxygen tube, he opened his eyes once more to meet Elizabeth's concerned ones.

"H-hey." His voice came out raspy and was grateful when Elizabeth lifted a small cup of water to his lips.

"Drink slowly." She instructed as she tilted the cup. Neal drank greedily, ignoring Elizabeth's command. Once every drop of water was downed he leaned his head back onto the pillow and looked up at El who was giving him a slight scolding look for not following directions.

"I don't know what I was thinking, telling Neal Caffrey to do something, the king of not doing as he is told." She stated in a motherly tone with a hint of humor as she smiled down at her favorite conman. Neal gave her a weary smile as he fought against the sleep that threatened to take over his body.

"Get some rest Neal. We will be here when you wake up." She reassured as she patted his leg.

Neal let his eyes close but as he comprehended Elizabeth's words he reopened them and twisted his face in confusion. "We?" He questioned glancing around the room to find someone else, but when he found none he turned his attention back to Elizabeth.

"Yes,we. Peter and I." She replied carefully, knowing full well the tension between her husband and Neal. She watched as Neal's eyes flashed with relief but then took on more of a resentful look.

"Neal, You know that Peter-" Elizabeth began but Neal cut her off.

"Don't." Neal replied and slipped his hand out of Elizabeth's grasp. He closed his eyes and let sleep consume him.

El watched Neal succumb to sleep. Sighing, she walked out of the room and went to sit with Peter in the waiting room.

Peter sat with his elbows resting on his knees and his chin resting on his folded hands. He stared blankly ahead as Neal's words replayed over and over again in his head like a broken record. He knew he was deserving of Neal's reaction. He had given him the cold shoulder ever since Neal's incident with Fowler. He was angry at Neal for a lot of things, but he was more disappointed than anything. It ate away at the agent which caused his toleration for Neal to be almost at nonexistent. He just couldn't handle being around the younger man, who over the past couple of years had become more like a little brother or son to him rather than a consultant. However, when he found Neal lying on the ground a few hours ago, all of his bitterness and disappointment washed away and was replaced with concern. But now the tables had turned. Instead of Peter pushing Neal away, it was the other way around and Peter realized how much more hell he had put Neal through. It was one thing for Neal to lose Kate and be desperate enough for revenge to resort to almost committing murder, but to have the one person he trusted more than anyone else turn their back on him at his breaking point was probably killing him.

_Obviously since he is in the hospital._ Peter thought to himself. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and saw his wife approaching him. She sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around him, he did likewise.

"You need to go see him, Peter." She said looking up at her husband.

"He doesn't want to see me, you know that. I don't blame him, though. I pushed the kid away when he needed guidance the most. But I was so angry at him for playing me and conning me. I was disappointed in him for going back to the Neal Caffrey I chased for all those years instead of the Neal Caffrey who is my partner. I just couldn't deal with him." Peter replied hanging his head a little.

He felt his wife tighten her grip around his waist and looked into her eyes.

"Then tell him that. Neal is a lot of things….alleged things as he would say, but I'm pretty sure he isn't a mind reader." She smiled up at him.

Peter gave a small laugh. "I wouldn't put it past him. Give him a few more years….. that kid can do almost anything."

The couple shared a laugh until Peter changed the subject to a more serious matter.

"Does he know?"

"No, he woke up for a few minutes but he was pretty tired so I didn't want to start such a serious conversation with him. He needs to rest and I didn't want to worry him. Besides, I think it will be best if we are both there to tell him." She replied quietly.

Silence fell over them for a few minutes then Elizabeth untangled herself from her husband.

"Honey, go see him." She coaxed. Peter looked at her and sighed.

"Alright."

Peter walked into Neal's room quietly, hoping the younger man wouldn't be woken up by the sound of the door opening and closing. He treaded softly across the floor and sat down in the chair next to Neal's bed. Finally, taking in Neal's appearance, Peter felt his concern grow. The younger man was pale and his breathing was slightly irregular despite the help from a nasal oxygen tube. He watched the rise and fall of Neal's chest which supplied some relief for the agent. It meant that Neal was still alive and there with him. He wanted to touch the younger man for reassurance, but once his hand was mere inches from Neal's he quickly put it back down in his own lap. He just sat there unsure of what to do. He hated situations like this, he wasn't good at it.

"Are you just going to stare at me?" Neal's raspy voice cut through the air. Peter jumped and turned his head quickly to see Neal's eyes slightly open.

"I thought you were asleep." Peter replied. Silence fell over the duo, both unsure of what to say. Peter deciding that now was the best time to have a heart to heart with Neal broke it.

"You really disappointed me, Neal. I trusted you to let justice win over revenge, but you had no impulse control. You played me, you _conned_ me. We had a lot trust built and you tore it down." Peter said sternly, eyeing Neal.

Neal's eyes widened as Peter's words reached his ears. He couldn't look the agent in the eyes. Instead he kept his head down and stared at the blanket covering him. "I'm sorry." He said in a barely audible voice. Peter knew Neal really meant it. A Neal who couldn't look at him was a guilty Neal, an ashamed Neal.

"Look at me." Peter ordered, but in a gentle way. It took a few seconds, but soon blue eyes met brown ones.

"I don't hate you, Neal. A little angry? Yes. Disappointed? Very. But, I don't hate you. I'm sorry for treating you the way I did. I should've just had this discussion with you when it happened, but I just couldn't deal with it. But still, that is no excuse for you not to tell me or anybody that something is wrong with you. Disappointed or not, I still care about you, Neal. Don't you ever keep your health a secret again, understood?"

Neal could only nod his head in confirmation as he processed Peter's words. He felt relief wash over him as he realized Peter would forgive him in time. He closed his eyes but as he thought about the last thing Peter said a question that he should've asked a long time ago struck him. He opened his eyes as best he could against the sleep that threatened to claim him again and looked at the agent.

"Peter, when I can I leave here?"

He watched as Peter bit his bottom lip and sighed. The agent laid a hand on Neal's thigh.

"I don't know, Buddy. But it'll be soon." Peter tried to sound reassuring but based on Neal's facial expression he knew Neal wasn't convinced. Neal began to feel worried but his eyes were drooping and he knew he was about to succumb to sleep.

"P`ter…what's wrong with me?" Neal asked sleepily. Peter gave a small smile, one that Neal saw as being sympathetic. He stood and patted Neal's leg again and laid a hand on the top of Neal's head. Unable to bear the thought of telling Neal the truth just yet, he lied.

"Nothing kiddo. Just get some rest, okay?"

Peter saw Neal's eyes close but quickly opened and search for the agent.

"It's okay Neal. I'm not going anywhere."

Thankful the agent understood what he wanted, Neal finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep, unaware of the danger that was resting inside his chest.

* * *

**AN: Let me know what you think, please! Sorry you had to wait so long for an update!**


	4. Chapter 4

Neal drowsily opened his eyes to unfortunately find himself still in the small sterile hospital room. His groggy blue eyes slowly made their way around the room. He spotted two IV bags on a rack beside his bed and came to the realization that that was the reason he felt so strange. He saw a small vase of flowers on the bedside table along with a plastic cup and a women's magazine. He raised his right eye brow in question but the drugs in his system kept him from contemplating the reason as to why there was a women's magazine beside his bed. He rolled his head to see what was on the other side of him and was reminded of the oxygen tube under his nose that wrapped back behind his ears. He blinked a few times, trying to clear the tired haze that fogged his vision, then he saw a sight that made a loopy smile appear on his face.

Peter and Elizabeth Burke sat beside his bed in non-comfortable looking chairs, looking at him with questioning eyes. He felt the corners of his mouth turn up into a goofy grin and smiled even bigger when the Burkes smiled back at him.

"Thas` why th`res...women's...on the ta-ble." Neal slurred as his medically drugged brain remembered seeing the magazine on the table. He blinked heavily as he stared at his two favorite people.

Peter tried to stifle his laughter that was caused by a loopy Neal, but he wasn't successful until he felt his wife's elbow in his ribs. "Stop it." Elizabeth whispered with a smile on her face. Both of them thought that Neal was just talking out of his head since neither one of them knew what the younger man was talking about or trying to. She stood up and placed a hand in Neal's slightly curly hair.

"Neal? How are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked slowly and slightly louder than usual, so Neal's drugged brain could comprehend. Tired, blue eyes locked onto hers as he opened his mouth to respond but a painful cough ripped through the conman's chest. His coughing fit lasted roughly two minutes before he relaxed into the bed with his eyes closed.

Elizabeth thought Neal had fallen asleep or passed out. She watched two teardrops roll down the side of the younger man's face and gently wiped them away but was surprised with Neal's eyes opened partially holding a painful and worn expression.

"Maybe we should call the nurse?" Peter suggested, now standing beside his wife looking down at his consultant. Elizabeth moved her hand over to the button, but stopped when a barely audible slurred came from Neal. " `m fine."

Elizabeth moved her hand away from the call button and placed it on Neal's forehead. Peter, however, was unconvinced, and pushed the button without Neal knowing it.

"Neal?" Elizabeth asked softly since the conman was just staring at her.

"Wh-whas wrong with..me?" Neal asked as he looked from Elizabeth to Peter and back. The couple exchanged a worrying glance, but was relieved when Neal's nurse walked in.

"Is everything alright in here?" The middle aged woman asked as she checked Neal's vitals. It was Peter who answered.

"We were just concerned with how groggy he is and he had a coughing fit a few minutes ago that looked pretty painful for him, but he won't ever admit to that."

The nurse nodded knowingly. "Yes, we have a lot of patients like that." She said with a small smile. "As far as his grogginess, he is on a high dosage of antibiotics and pain medication, until we get the test results back. Then we will see what treatment he gets from there. The results should back within the next hour or so. His vitals seem to be normal, considering. Heartbeat is still slightly irregular, but isn't anything to worry about just yet. The doctor will come see you as soon as he gets the results." With that, the nurse left.

Even drugged, Neal hated when people talked to one another like he wasn't there, especially when they were talking about him. He also hated the fact he still had no idea what was wrong with him and what the nurse had said scared him a little bit more than he'd like to admit. He hated feeling so tired and he hated the pain in his chest when he breathed. He was so sick and uncomfortable, he just wanted to die, but little did he know, that that fate might be waiting right around the corner.

* * *

**AN: I guess the only thing I could ask for is that you not kill me even though it had been forever and a day since I've updated. I know it isn't much but I'll have the next chapter posted in the next few days. I stopped so short because I want to try to update The Only That Can Save Him by tonight as well. **


	5. Chapter 5

Peter once again found himself sitting on one of the horrible faded aqua couches in the hospital waiting room of the Cardiology wing. Elizabeth was on her fourth trip to the cafeteria for some liquid the hospital labeled as coffee, but tasted nothing of a sort, so the agent was left alone with a woman that Peter guessed was in her late fifties but looked a few years older than she actually was sitting adjacent from him, who had been quietly reading a travel magazine and a large group of people gathered in the corner of the big waiting room who were being disrespectfully loud in Peter's opinion.

He sat forward with his elbows resting on his knees while his fingertips massaged his temples as he tried assure himself Neal was going to be fine and ignore the loud chatter coming from the other side of the room.

"He's going to be fine, you know."

Peter's fingers stopped their circular motion and he slowly lifted his head to find the woman who was reading a magazine moments ago looking at him with a sympathetic expression. Trying to recall a time in which he had spoken to the woman for her to know anything about why he was there, he furrowed his brow. When he couldn't come up with anything he asked,

"Excuse me?"

"The boy, the one you're here for, he's going to be alright." She stated with confidence.

Peter waited a moment as her words sunk in. He gave a short laugh.

"How could you possibly know that?" His tone was casual, not sure if he was referring to how she knew he was in fact there for a boy or if said boy was going to be okay.

She placed her magazine on the table in the middle of their seating area. She vacated her current seat, her jewelry making clinging noises as she moved, to occupy a chair across from Peter. She looked at him for a moment, the agent stared back.

She gave a small smile. "You're too concerned for that boy to let anything happen to him."

Peter sucked in a breath and rolled his eyes in a way he does when he is embarrassed. He let the air out of his lungs in one quick sigh and hung his head.

"It's out of my hands." He bit his lip and rubbed a tired hand over his face. "There's nothing I can do."

This time the woman gave an outright laugh, catching the attention of the rowdy group in the corner. She waved them off as to tell them to mind their own business in her own classy way.

"I'm sorry agent Burke, but we both know that isn't true."

Peter was too surprised to respond. When had he told her his name? Elizabeth would have called him by his first name. Maybe his wife had talked to her when he was visiting Neal.

Peter wasn't sure what to say next, but he didn't have to say anything. The sophisticated woman who had tried her best hide the hardships life had dealt her stood with a smile.

"There is something you can do Peter." She said as she turned to leave. Peter watched her go and was inquisitive when she turned around once she was at the door. She stood there as Peter saw sadness, regret and fear dance across her face before a blank expression molded her face. With one last look at Peter she softly spoke.

"Forgiveness is the best form of life support."

Peter watched her disappear around the corner from the waiting room window. He was still in a state of shock and confusion as the woman's words rang through his ears. It wasn't until his wife appeared on the other side of the glass and knocked to get his attention that he was brought back to reality.

"The doctor wants to talk to us." Elizabeth mouthed through the glass. Peter nodded and walked out into the hallway to meet his wife and the doctor who walked up as soon as he did.

"Mr. and Mrs. Burke" Doctor Xavier acknowledged as he shook their hands.

They both gave tight smiles and waited for news on Neal.

"First off, I apologize for how long you both have had to wait, but with diagnosis, especially one that deals with the heart, we like to be very thorough. Now, as you know Mr. Caffrey has been experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath and light-headedness. These symptoms can be very common for a variety of things but during his physical examination, we heard some abnormal sounds while listening to his heart."

"Abnormal?" Peter interrupted, his voice holding traces of alarm.

The doctor nodded and held up a hand.

"Palpitations and irregular heartbeats." The doctor explained. "This did cause a rise in concern so we ran an electrocardiogram and a chest x-ray. We found some significant patterns in the ECG and in the x-ray the area seemed to be enlarged."

Peter swallowed hard and wrapped and arm around Elizabeth as she raised one of hands to her mouth.

"I was told that Doctor Adams explained to you yesterday that all of these can be possible signs of Pericardial Effusion, which is an unusual amount of fluid between the sac surrounding the heart and the heart itself caused by a bacterial infection." Doctor Xavier questioned as he noticed the horrified looks on the couple's faces.

"Y-yes." Elizabeth answered as she struggled to find her voice. Yesterday afternoon when Neal was brought in they had performed the tests Doctor Xavier had just finished explaining and the doctor on shift had been the one to carefully explain the possibility of Neal having fluid around his heart to them, leaving out the details of abnormal heart sounds and an x-ray that showed the heart area to be enlarged, both of which terrified the Burkes.

"He just didn't inform us on all the symptoms." Peter finished for her to explain their shocked reaction to news they had already heard.

"Ah, I see. I apologize. I tend to a bit more direct than Doctor Adams."

"No, it's fine. We actually prefer for you to be direct." Elizabeth assured. "We don't want to be left in the dark when it comes to Neal's health."

"I understand." Doctor Xavier nodded. "Now, we just finished running an echocardiogram, which is the best test to confirm the diagnosis. We did find excess fluid." He paused to let the news sink in long enough for him to continue.

"Usually, if the pericardial effusion is small it doesn't cause any serious issues. Unfortunately, Neal's is rather large and is compressing his heart and effecting the organ's ability to pump blood."

Elizabeth gasped and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Peter felt his stomach twist and turn and for a moment his mind played with idea that he too, had what Neal had as his own heart began to beat an an irregular pattern.

"But, but he will be okay right? I mean, you, you can fix it?" Elizabeth asked, her voice wavering with emotion.

"Yes, we can fix it. It will require surgery though and that carries its own risks." Doctor Xavier stated as he saw a small bit of relief flow through the couple. "We will have to make an incision on his chest and cut away the pericardial effusion. This will get rid of it and prevent it from coming back."

"Thank God." Peter breathed and ran his hand across his face.

"But if I may be direct once more, this surgery has its own share of risks. Though it may not be as serious as open-heart surgery we will still be operating around his heart, but I assure that we have the best doctors for the job."

"Of course." Peter said, silently debating that statement in his head. "When will his surgery be?"

"Well, we need to operate as soon as possible, but Mr. Caffrey has been through a lot of tests today and is pretty worn out. He also has a low-grade fever which we need to get rid of before we can operate. We will check on him tomorrow morning at 9 and as long as his fever is gone we will prep him for surgery."

"Alright." Peter responded as he held his wife closer to him and let the information sink in. He didn't know whether to be more relieved for scared at the moment, so he settled on relieved because it was a lot easier to deal with.

"When will be able to see him?" He heard his wife ask and looked to the doctor expectantly.

"Once the nurses have him settled back in his room, someone will come and get you. It shouldn't be but about five or ten minutes. If you have no further questions, I need to start my rounds." Dr. Xavier answered as he shook their hands once more. With the confirmation that the Burke's had no more questions he left.

* * *

Peter and Elizabeth had made their way back into the waiting room as they waited for a nurse to come get them. Neither had spoke a word, both lost in their own thoughts and concerns. The large group from earlier still occupied the corner to Peter's dislike. They were to rowdy and loud for such a somber place in Peter's opinion and Elizabeth's based on the looks she threw their way every once in a while.

Peter's mind wandered back to the strange conversation he had with the woman before Dr. Xavier came.

"Hey, El?"

"Hmm?" Elizabeth questioned lifting her head off Peter's shoulder to look at him.

"Did you talk to that older woman that was sitting in here earlier?"

Elizabeth's brows furrowed in confusion. After a long pause, she answered.

"Honey, what woman?"

"You know, she was probably a few years older than us, nicely dressed and reading some magazine like a travel magazine." Peter tried to describe.

"Peter, I don't know who you're talking about. The only people I've seen in this waiting room are the people over there and a young mexican couple. I haven't spoken to anyone but you." Elizabeth said giving her husband a skeptical look.

"So you didn't -" Peter tried to confirm but was cut off by a nurse at the door.

"Family of Neal Caffrey?" The young nurse asked.

Elizabeth shot out of her chair so fast and was at the door before Peter even stood.

"That's us." Elizabeth told her as she motioned for Peter to walk faster.

"Alright, if you follow me I will take you to his room." She smiled and turned to lead the way.

Peter finally caught up to Elizabeth and grabbed her hand. She instinctively walked closer to him as they walked down the narrow hallway. Peter was still trying to figure out who that woman was and how she knew his name. He was once again brought out of his thoughts as the young nurse's quiet whisper broke his train of thought.

"Here we are. He's still sleeping and needs his rest, so try to be quiet." She said kindly. Elizabeth thanked her, while Peter just nodded his thanks. Before Peter looked into the room he decided that tomorrow while Neal was in surgery he would find out more about the mystery woman from the waiting room, but right now he needed to focus all his attention on Neal and Elizabeth.

Taking one last deep breath, he entered the room with Elizabeth to begin what was sure to be a long night followed by a grueling day.

* * *

**AN: First, I am no doctor. ALL medical information was researched, so I apologize if it is not 100% correct. Second, I am so sorry for the entirely way too long delay for an update! Last but not least, Feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

It was some odd minutes past 2 am, and Peter Burke was sitting in a chair beside Neal's bed re-reading a health magazine that he had borrowed from the waiting room. Elizabeth had been asleep in the reclining chair in the room for about two hours leaving Peter bored out of his mind. He tried to figure out who that woman was from the waiting room, but eventually he just got frustrated and dropped the whole thing, at least for the night. Ever so often Peter would glance at Neal who had yet to wake up since his tests earlier in the afternoon. He kept hoping each time he looked that bright blue eyes would be staring back at him and Neal would be his chipper self without what seemed like hundreds of wires attached to him and a nasal canal. But each time reality dealt a low blow.

There was a small TV in the room, but the nurse had made it a point to remind them Neal needed as much rest as possible so it was important to remain quiet if they were going to stay, so Peter decided not to even bother turning it on at all because he didn't want to take a chance that the flickering light would wake the sleeping "ex"-conman. The only light in the room was coming from a small bedside lamp beside Peter which only gave off enough light for the agent to read the words on the pages of the magazine and Neal who laid beside him in the hospital bed. He could also see a shadowy figure of his sleeping wife in the chair on the other side of Neal's bed.

He was skimming over an article about exercise in the magazine he had probably looked at twenty times by now when he heard a small shuffle beside him. He quickly lifted his head to find Neal weakly pulling at the nasal canal under his nose. The tubing behind his left ear had slipped out from behind it and Neal was trying to get it the rest of it off of him. Peter stood and took the two steps it took to get to the bed. He gently wrapped a hand around Neal's small wrist, careful of the IV tubes, to stop the younger man. Neal's reaction was slow and for a moment he didn't react, but once he processed that someone had a hold of his wrist his heart monitor started to beep faster as he sluggishly lifted bleary eyes to see who was there. Peter easily sat down on the side of the bed and placed a hand on top Neal's unruly hair.

"Hey, easy, easy." Peter coaxed as Neal processed his presence. "Calm down, Neal. Breathe."

"Hurts." Neal slurred. Peter spread his mouth into a tight line and nodded. He watched Neal blink heavily and grimace as he did his best to even his breathing. Once Peter was satisfied, he picked up the nasal canal dangling behind Neal's right ear and moved to put it back in place.

"N-no." The younger man protested. "I don't want it. I don't want any of it. I want to leave. I want to go home." Neal began to pull at all the wires attached to his body. He didn't get very far, before Peter had both of his wrists in his grasp.

"Stop, Neal. Stop." Peter had to swallow hard when he saw the pleading, desperate look on the younger man's face.

"I wanna go home." Neal whispered as he looked up at Peter.

"I know, Neal. But you can't, not yet." Peter regretted telling him. He wanted nothing more than to take Neal home, to give him what he wanted. "You gotta put the nasal canal back on. Okay?"

Neal had determined look on his drained face that told Peter he had no intention of doing anything of a sort.

"If you won't do it for yourself, do it for Elizabeth." Peter played as he moved his head in the direction of Elizabeth who was still asleep and Neal followed his gaze. The younger man stared at her for a long time before turning back to look up at Peter. "She's been here the whole time, we both have."

"Okay." Peter knew Neal did his best to hide the trepidation in his voice but the agent still picked up on it. He slowly released Neal's wrists and for the second time moved to put the nasal canal back in place. Neal resisted once again and Peter gave him a warning look, but Neal rolled his eyes.

"I can do it myself." Neal stated, making sure Peter knew he hated being fussed over.

"Alright." Peter said and watched Neal struggle through the drugs in his system to do the simple task of putting the nasal canal under his nose and behind his other ear.

Once it was back in place, Neal closed his eyes tiredly and laid still. Peter thought that he had fallen back asleep and was just about to stand when Neal's unusual small voice filtered in his ears.

"I don't want to have the surgery."

There was undeniable fear in that sentence, but Peter knew Neal had meant to say it with determination as a way of feeling in control. Neal slowly opened his eyes again but didn't look at Peter. He fingered the blanket that was laying over his legs keeping his index finger with the pulse ox lifted up slightly.

"I'm afraid that isn't an option, Neal." Peter said a bit too sternly for his own liking and apparently Neal's as well.

"Of course it isn't." The tone was anything but casual. It didn't take a conman to detect the resentfulness. Deep down Peter knew he had deserved that for the way he had treated Neal the past few days, but that did little to ease the hurt it caused. He tried to do right by Neal, be patient with him, his antics and knack for getting himself into trouble. But, sometimes it was easier said than done and the past few days were a prime example.

"Neal..."

"Forget it, Peter." Neal said as he laid a hand on his chest as pain erupted. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does, Neal." Neal interrupted with a sigh, but Peter continued.

"It matters. It matters to June, it matters to Mozzie, to Diana and Jones. It matters to Elizabeth who hasn't left this hospital since you've been here and worried herself to death over you, who has invited you into our home and treated you like family. She evens takes your side over mine most of the time." A smile tugged at Neal's lips, but Neal quickly dropped it. Peter took a deep breath.

"It matters to me, Neal."

At that Neal stopped playing with the blanket and froze. Peter swallowed thickly, uncomfortable with where this conversation was headed. He didn't want a chick flick moment to occur. He cleared his throat, and Neal finally looked up at him with a blank expression.

"I know you want all this to be over, trust me, we all do. But we can't just ignore this, Neal. It's not something you can just con your way out of."

Neal gave him a devious grin and skeptical look. But Peter wasn't amused.

"This is serious, Neal. This could kill you if you don't get it treated." Peter stated firmly. Fear flickered across Neal's face before he masked it with calmness.

"But... you're going to be fine. You'll have the surgery tomorrow and be on your way to a full recovery." Peter assured patting Neal's leg. Peter noted that even in the dim light of the lamp that what little color in his friend's face was now completely gone.

"Yeah...I'm sure it will go perfect." Neal said but Peter could tell the young man didn't actually believe it. Neal yawned and rubbed a tired hand across his face weakly. Peter could tell he was in pain again since his jaw was clenched and the hand that rested on his stomach was slowly making its way up to his chest. The younger man swallowed thickly a few times before turning wide eyes toward Peter.

"'I...I don' feel so good."

Peter immediately grabbed the small tray on the table and held it under Neal's chin. He placed a hand on Neal's back to help him sit up and add some form of comfort as Neal lost what little food was in his stomach and then dry heaved. Once Neal stopped gagging, Peter asked him if he was done. The younger man gave a small nod and eased himself back on the pillows.

Peter went into the small bathroom in the room and washed out the tray. When he returned, he found Neal curled up on his side with his eyes tightly shut. He placed the tray back on the table and returned to set on the edge of Neal's bed.

"Neal? Are you okay?" He asked. He glanced over at his wife, who to Peter's disbelief had slept through Neal's retching, and silently wished she would wake up.

"Uh...y-yeah. 'mmm fine." Neal said but Peter knew better than to believe him. He pushed the nurse call button unbeknownst to Neal.

Not even a minute later, a nurse on the night shift walked in. She spoke quietly so not to disturb Elizabeth.

"Is everything alright in here?" She asked.

Peter saw Neal open his eyes in surprise before answering.

"Not really. He just threw up and he's in a lot of pain." Neal threw Peter a betrayed look.

The nurse walked over to the bed on Peter's side and the agent stood from the bed so she could check on Neal.

"Mr. Caffrey? Are you still feeling nauseous?" The nurse addressed as she placed a thermometer in Neal's ear. Neal didn't answer and Peter knew he didn't plan on it.

"Neal." The agent only had to warn once.

"A..a little." He answered. "But not much." The nurse removed the thermometer from his ear.

"101.9" She stated. "A little higher than last time, but hopefully we can still get it down in time. Is it just in your chest that you feel pain?"

Neal nodded as he pulled the cover closer to him.

"How much pain, Mr. Caffrey?" Neal just shrugged keeping his eyes screwed shut.

"On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, how would rate it?"

Neal hesitated a moment and answered a four, but when Peter warned him again he changed his answer to a six and half.

"Alright. I'm going to increase your dosage of pain medication just a little bit. It may not make it completely go away but it will lessen it to a more manageable level."

She checked the rest of Neal's vitals and fixed his pain medication. She turned to leave, but when she reached the door she turned back around to Peter.

"If that doesn't help or he starts feeling sick again, push that button to let us know."

When Peter nodded in agreement, she left softly closing the door. Peter looked at his wife who was shifting positions but still didn't wake up. He was amazed at how much she had slept through, but neither of them had gotten much sleep the past two nights so he couldn't blame her. He turned his attention back to Neal who still laid on curled up on his side, but now was staring straight ahead of him. Peter scooted his chair in front on Neal's line of vision and sat down. Peter could tell the pain medication had already started to kick in. His muscles were more relaxed and his eyes were becoming a bit unfocused.

"P'ter?" Neal slurred as he wearily looked at the agent who had sat down in front of him.

"Heyyy, buddy." Peter greeted softly. "Are you feeling better?"

"Mmhmm." Neal nodded. Peter watched the younger man struggle to keep his eyes open and encouraged him to go to sleep. Neal's eyes had been closed a long time and Peter was sure he fallen asleep, but when he leaned back in his chair Neal must have heard him move.

"P'ter?" He asked, his eyes still closed.

"Yeah, Neal?" Peter stared at him with a questioning look. Neal opened his eyes slightly and it took him a few seconds to focus on Peter.

"Don't..go." Even on high dosages of pain medication, Neal still managed to sound a bit embarrassed about asking the agent to stay. Peter fought the smile that was threatening to show.

"I'm not going anywhere."

If Neal heard him, he chose to ignore it.

"If you go, that...that woman might c-come back."

Instantly, Peter sat up straighter. Neal's voice held fear as if whomever he was talking about he was afraid of them. The idea of someone scaring, or worse actually hurting him, made Peter furious.

"What woman, Neal?" He worked to keep the agent out of his voice and tried to sound casual.

"I..I don't know." Neal said. "B-but she seems...seems so...familiar." Neal's eyes closed once more.

"Why don't you want her to come back?"

"Because...she jus'...stands in the corner...and stares at me." Neal said, opening his eyes to look at Peter. "Every time...I would wake up she...she left."

Peter let the information sink in and he tried not to laugh. He thought that Neal must have dreamed about this woman or was hallucinating from the medication.

"Oh, she's probably just shy." Peter played along, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his smile.

"Maybe...she was dressed...really nice. Lots of jewelry."

Peter's shoulders shook with quiet laughter at Neal, but suddenly he froze. He remembered the woman from the waiting room was dressed really nice and wore lots of jewelry.

"What color of shirt was she wearing?"

Neal must have noticed Peter's voice change because he looked at the agent again.

"Wh-why does that matter?"

"Because ...I may have saw her." Peter explained.

"Ohh...uh, she was wearing...a light purple button up. I think."

Peter didn't say anything as he tried to reel back from the shock. The mystery woman had been in Neal's room. Questions starting whirling around in the agents head, but Neal's slurred voice brought him back to reality.

"Did you see her too, Peter?"

Peter hesitated a moment, deciding on wether or not to tell Neal the truth.

"No, Neal. I didn't see her. You probably just dreamed her or that medicine has you seeing thing." Peter lied.

"Hmm." Neal closed his eyes. "That's a good possibility."

Peter gave a short laugh. "Go to sleep Neal."

For once, Neal did as he was told, leaving Peter sitting unsure of what he should do about this mystery woman.

* * *

**AN: Feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


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